Patric Young

Strengths

Right-handed… Simply put, Young has worked hard to earn the accolade "Best Defensive Player" in his class that we've seen. He is a high-energy big man, with tremendous athleticism and an excellent hunger for the ball. His rebounding ability, snatching the ball down from a missed shot and finding an outlet man to start a transition break right away. He can block shots away in the low post or play help side to come over and deflect the shot. He has a non-stop motor that allows him to go full-speed on every play. He uses his motor, strength and physicality to outmatch opponents. For instance, he is constantly in the right position defensively as he will have a piece of the paint while playing weak side defense, and play within an arms-length or even three-quarter his man to defend the entry pass from the top of the paint. He always seems to be working to challenge shots… He has very good quickness and speed that allow him to slide and rotate defensively, but also beat his man up the court to have a man advantage on the other end… His offensive game is still developing, but has shown great improvement over the last year. He loves finishing the ball with a slam and is always a threat for a lob or a tip-in dunk off of missed shots. He has a nose for the ball that means everyone on the defensive end has to know where he is and be ready to put a body on him to box him out… He attacks the rim with vengeance… He can handle the ball a bit in transition, displaying work-in-progress ball moves that allow him to get into the paint where Young does what he does best, throw down dunks. He sees to be comfortable handling the ball on the perimeter and in transition, although as a power forward at the college and professional level, it would be advantageous for Young, especially with his athleticism, to continue to develop his handle…

Weaknesses

One of our worries is that with how Young hustles and motors for every ball and challenges every shot is that at this level and the next, with greater talent and excellent athletes that Young will need to learn to stay home at times. He cannot leave his man to challenge a shot out of his area, therefore leaving the weakside open and allowing for a put-back or another offensive possession… Young's offensive game, especially his back-to-the-basket game is a work in progress, but his mid-range and even short-range jumper is lagging behind. He looks uncomfortable/ stiff shooting the ball… Despite being listed at 6'9", 220 pounds, he is more so about 6'8". He'll need to continue to add strength to his chiseled frame, while maintaining his same athleticism and mobility to bang with the bigs at the next level… If Young can continue to work with his jump shot and ball handling, he will be a difficult matchup with his physicality and athleticism…